The oil pump inside of an internal combustion engine is usedto lubricate the engine and reduce friction. The pump powers oil through bearings, sliding pistons, camshafts, and othersmall parts. The decrease in friction also means the cooling of pistons,bearings, and shafts. Failure to properly lubricate an engine will result inengine failure. Now you see howimportant that cleverly named oil pump is.
The oil pump needs to be generating approximately 10 psi perevery 1000 revolutions per minute in order to properly lubricate the system. If your oil pump is working well but you arestill having a low pressure issue, it may be caused by a clogged oil pickupscreen, too much wear on a high mileage engine, or you just need to add moreoil to your car. Each car has differentoil requirements. Higher performancevehicles put more stress on the system and they need more lubricating.
There are basically three types of pumps, a twin gear pump,a Gerotor Pump, and an internal pump. Atwin gear pump has one gear connected to a shaft that is driven by the camshaftor distributor. A twin gear pump turnsat half the speed of the engine and is located inside the oil pan. A Gerotor Pump has one small gear rotatinginside a larger one. While an internalpump is a Gerotor style pump, an internal pump turns at the same speed of theengine so it creates a stronger flow. An internal pump design is used onoverhead cam engines.
